Roadway construction.



A. 0. mass.- ROADWAY CONSTRUCT ION. APPLICAUON H LED FEB. 16. I918.

mama Dec. 10, 1918.

.uminlg that such strips are in the neighbor- 'o'riri w lilhwit ABEL c. BRIGGS, or wrtinrsreron, onto.

ROADWAY CGNSTRU'CTHEN.

essence.

' Specification of Letters Patent. v Patented Dec. 1%,1918.

Application filed February 16, 1918. Serial No; 217,467.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, ABEL C. Bruce's, a citihereof the United States, residing at Wil-- mington, in thecounty of Clinton and State of Ohio have invented certain new and use ful' Improvements in Roadway Constructionspof which the. following is a specifica- 'way as toadznit of its being produced at a comparatively low cost and at the same time, obviate the necessity of frequent expensive repairs and to otherwise provide a durable and economical road construction.

With these and other'objects in .view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention accordingly consists in the novel method and features of construction which are set forth with particularity in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, 7

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion ofa road way having my improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section ofthe road way.

' Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

It has been demonstrated that a concrete road surface is greatly to be desired on ac count of its smoothness and wearing qualities but where such a construction is provided for the entire width of the road ithas been found to so greatly increase the expenseof road building as to make its use almost prohibitive except possibly in certain localities. My improved construction coinprises a combination of concrete road sections with the usual or ordinary macadam sections and in carrying out my plan of construction I build or otherwise provide, on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the road two parallel strips or sections of concrete. These sections or strips form track ways or bearing surfaces for the op posing wheels of vehicles. Each of these concrete strips which are shown at 1 inthe draw-mg 1s comparatively narrow and as hood of two or three feet in width and that a substantially equal space exists between the strips it will be understood that said strips will cover only a comparatively small proportion of the entire road way. In producing the track strips 1 any usual concIete construction may be employed, such asa base of gravehbroken stone and sand united by cement or otherwise, and the usual top layer of cement and sand mixed in the proper proportions. I do not, however, desire to confine myself to the exact concrete mixture but intend that the word concrete as used herein shall cover what is generally lll'lQlGl'SiOOtl by the term when applied to paving.

The space between the two strips 1 which is indicated at 2 is filled or built up of what is known as inacadam and preferably of what is'connnonly called water bound macadani until the filling is flush with the top f the concrete surface. The sections 1 are provided at desirable intervals with trans-' verse expansion joints such as are indicated at 3 in Fig. l and said concrete sections are reinforced and unchored'again'st lateral or individual movement by providing at desirable intervals transverse reinforcing bars or rods 4: which are en'ibedded within said con crete members and pass through the center inacadani strip 2. In order to further reinforce the concrete sections I provide a plurality of reinforcing rods or bars 4' which extend longitudinally through the concrete sections.

The outer side of each of the strips 1 is as shown at 5 beveled outwardly and downwardly and adjoining each of'these beveled sides is the inner correspondingly beveled side of an outer macadam section 6 which is slightly inclined from the upper surface of the adjacent concrete section to the outer extremity of the road way. These sections 6 are embedded in longitudinally extending, kerfs formed in the base of the road way, and said kerfs by reason of the outer upstanding Walls thereof serve to prevent lateral separating movement on part of the strips 1 and the filling layers 2 and 6.

.In constructing a new road Way of the character herein shown and described it will be understood that the road base is first brought down to the proper depth or level after which the concrete strips 1 are built up between the usual mold boards in the ordinary manner. The mold boards being i will be understood that the two strips 1 may serve as the bearing surfaces for the wheels of a vehicle thus admitting of the automobile or other'vehicle traveling wholly upon the concrete strips excepting during the passing of another vehicle. By the construction described it will further be understood that an exceedingly durable road way is provided at a comparatively small "cost inasmuch as the more expensive bearing surfaces 1 compose a part of the road way only and yet are so arranged as to take up the greater portion of the wear." By using the road in the manner described it is obvious that the life of such a road waywill be greatly increasedowing tothe fact that the center and outer side sections are constructed of a material which is ordinarily more sensitive to the wearing action of tires and these sections will have comparatively little use as the natural tendency of a driver will be, except when passing another vehicle. to use the the sections 1..

hard and comparatively smooth surface of area of a concrete surface the greater the tendency of the concrete layers to crack or separate and it will be observed that by my construction the concrete members are comparatively narrow which must greatly lessen the liability to cracking.

Having described my invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A,road way comprising a base having a pair of spaced longitudinally extending kerfs formed therein, said kerfs being formed to comprise inclined bottom surfaces and up-st-anding side walls, spaced parallel strips of concrete situated upon said'base I and located between said kerfs, said strips 1 including inclined outer edges and vertically disposed inner edges, a layer of fillingmaterial interposed between the vertical edges of said strips and having its upper sur face formed to terminate evenlywith' the corresponding surfaces of said strips, and outer'layers offilling material situated between the inolind edges of said strips and the up-standin'g walls of said kerfs, the upper surfaces 0 said outer layers being inclined'to extend substantially 1 parallel with ers the bottom surfaces of the k 2. A road bed comprising a base, having a pair of spaced longitudlnally extending kerfs formed therein, said kerfs being 1 formed to comprise inclined bottom surfaces and up-standing side walls, spaced parouter layers of filling material situated between the inclined edges of said strips and the up-standing walls of said kerfs, the upper surface of said outer layers being in clined to extend substantially parallel with the bottom surfaces of said kerfs and longitudinally and transversely extending reinforcing and anchoring members passing through said strips.

3. A road way comprising a base, spaced parallel strips of coii'crete situated upon said base, said strips including inclined outer edges and substantially vertical side edges, a layer of filling material interposed between the vertical edges of said strips and having its upper surface formed to terminate substantially evenly with the correspondingsurfaces ofsaid strips, outer layers of filling It has been'found that the greater the material situated to engage the inclined outer edges of said strips, the upper surfaces of said outer layers being lIlClllKHi outwardly and downwardly, and means tending to pre vent lateral spreading movement on part of said outer layers.

.4. A road way comprising a plurality of spaced parallel strips formed from longitudinally alined monolithic sections, reinforcing means connecting said strips in both longitudinal and transverse directions, an

' ing to prevent lateral separation of said outer layers with respect to said strips. In testlmony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ABEL C. BRIGGS.

Witnesses:

C. C. SHEPHERD, H. SPAIN. 

